It is known that aircraft, when they cross a storm area, may suffer lightning impacts. These lightning impacts are especially localized at the extremities of the aircraft. Thus, the radome of the aircraft constitutes a risk area. Lightning is liable to cause significant damage to the radome and equipment within the radome. The radome forms a protective envelope, transparent to electromagnetic waves, for very expensive electronic hardware such as radar and counter-measures. The radome is attached to the metal frame of the aircraft.
For protecting the radome or other parts of the aircraft, it is known to place lightning arrester strips on the outer surface of the radome or other surface of the aircraft to be protected from lighting strikes. These strips are typically placed on surfaces where impacts of the lightning striking are predicted. The strips are part of a conductive path that routes strong discharge currents from the point of lighting impact on the strip to an electrical ground in the aircraft, such as the metal frame of the aircraft. The lightning arrester strips should, in addition, be transparent to electromagnetic waves and interfere, as little as possible, with the transmission of waves through the wall of the radome.
Various types of lightning arrester strips have been used. For example, solid metal strips are known to convey the energy of a lightning arc by conduction of the current in their thickness to the metal frame of the aircraft.
Strips are also known which consist of a thin dielectric substrate on the exposed surface of which, conductive metal segments or patches are attached, aligned and spaced apart. The current induced by a lightning arc is routed by successive leaps, from segment to segment, by local ionization of the air above the segments.
Usually, electromagnetic wave emitting and/or receiving antennas are arranged in the radome.
The coexistence of lightning arrester strips and antennas in the radome may sometimes interfere with the emission and/or transmission quality of electromagnetic signals by the antennas.